Stage Nerves
by NovastarJ
Summary: It is Ludwig's big night, but he is not so confident about his abilities now. All it takes is your idol to bring you back up and give that confidence back. [FRIENDLY BROTHERS ONESHOT]


A/N: Felt like making a LudwigLarry friendship oneshot + practice some Koopalings writing. That's all there is to it really.

**Stage Nerves**

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><p><strong><em>KASTLE KOOPA ENTRANCE - 7:28PM<em>**

"Hello there Lawrence Koopa! How spiffing you look tonight!"

"Shut up Lemmy, you're wearing the exact same thing I am."

Lemmy gave a laugh and tugged on his own bowtie; a crimson red one that he had fished out from his wardrobe. "Yeah, but you seem more for the part, Larry," He said, hands behind his head. "Me and formal go together like ice cream and pizza. Hey, do you think there will be ice cream or pizza at the concert hall?"

"It's an classical music theatre, Lemmy." Iggy reprimanded. Larry couldn't help but laugh.

"I agree," He said. "Knowing those snoots over there though, we'd get served caviar or something like that."

"Ugh, please, don't remind me of that."

"Caviar, caviar, caviar, caviar..."

"LARRY!"

He cackled wildly at this, while Iggy just stood there looking like he was about to burst a vein from his forehead. He was a koopa of science after all, but not a koopa of fine foods, and that incident always left Larry with some good memories and a little bit of blackmail just in case he needed some leverage on... well, whatever could potentially happen in the future.

Iggy gave a small huff and looked at his watch. "Where is that limousine?" He wondered - it was supposed to be outside three minutes ago.

"Maybe it's running on Wendy time!" Lemmy exclaimed, which made all of them laugh.

"How long does it take to put dust on your face anyway," Larry asked. "I swear she's going for the powdered doughnut look."

Iggy giggled. "Did you know that back in the old days, those kinds of makeup were made out of lead. Pure lead!"

"Damn, so that would..."

"Yep! Kill them! Or at the very least, severely poison them and make them sick."

Lemmy whistled. "Creepy." He said.

"I get sick because of makeup... because we have to wait so damn long." Larry mumbled, until suddenly from his right Kamek was in front of his face; he gave a 'yelp!' of surprise as the old Magikoopa began finagling with him.

"Master Lawrence!" He scolded. "Your bowtie is at the improper angle! When was the last time you used one?!"

"Ugh... since I had to sneak into the Mushroom Kingdom undercover at a dance ball," Larry answered, flashing a glare at his two laughing brothers. "Which was years ago, I think. Look, get off my case Kamek!"

Kamek tightened his bowtie way too tight. "You need to be presentable for Master Ludwig's presentation!"

"He's going to be facing away from us though," Larry said irritably, crinkling his snout. "He's the conductor."

"No no, remember he's doing his piano bit first though..." Iggy interrupted.

"Well... yeah, still..."

The Magikoopa then hovered over to Lemmy (who made an attempt to hide from him) and had begun to mess with the poor Koopaling, tutting about his mohawk under his breath briefly. "Don't be so technical Master Lawrence; he will be there all the same, knowing you'll be sitting there watching him! He should at least know that you care." He finished his sentence with a final tighten of Lemmy's bowtie, which made him gasp for breath and scramble to loosen it. Iggy had gotten off the hook this time, looking up to Kamek's standards. He floated away to Roy and Morton chatting nearby ("Master Roy, you cannot be going to a classical music theatre with those sunglasses!").

Iggy heard something from behind him and turned around. "Oh finally!" He said, watching as their transportation rolled up in front of them slowly. As the others expressed various amounts of relief, the driver quickly got out - a middle aged, flustered Koopa - and run to quickly open the door.

"So sorry I'm late!" He said quickly, visibly nervous being in the presence of King Bowser's second-in-commands. "There was some problems with... err, traffic!"

Kamek hovered above everyone. "Alright Koopalings!" He called out, ushering everyone towards the limo. "Please get in one-by-one... where is Wendy?!"

"Putting on her face, what else?!" Roy chuckled. As they began to file up neatly, Iggy was at the front, rolling his eyes as he began to get in.

"Only Wendy could aspire to impress everyone else at a concert not dedicated to her." Lemmy laughed and piled in second, with Larry third. As he stepped in, he tried to hide his excitement at the sight of the inside; it was amazing, to be frank. The passenger carriage was tinted a deep blue from the neon lights that buzzed above them. The walls and the seats all had speakers installed in them with a stereo to boot. Larry was a little disappointed. If he knew that there was a stereo, he could have bought music. Maybe some techno or electronic to annoy the hell out of everyone. He sat up the back, next to Lemmy and Iggy. Roy and Morton followed, Morton sitting next to him and then Bowser Junior.

"Wow, this is cool!" He exclaimed, in awe of the lighting. "I'm going to put this in my airship!" Larry grinned as Junior sat next to Iggy.

"I hear you, bro."

While they all chattered amongst themselves, Wendy suddenly appeared and clambered in last with, to her surprise, a round of applause from all her annoying-ass brothers.

"Congratulations!" Iggy exclaimed. "You look completely the same!"

Wendy sat down next to Roy at the end. "Shut up Iggy!" She shouted, and then Kamek poked his head in.

"Everyone here? ... Good! Well, Masters and Mistress, please enjoy yourselves at Master Ludwig's concert! You will meet King Bowser in the lobby! Kammy and I will be here to monitor the castle, so relax and enjoy the good music! I will see you all tonight!"

"See ya later, Kamek!" Larry exclaimed, waving him goodbye while everyone else did the same. As the limo lurched forward, the second-youngest relaxed in his seat, hands behind his head and turning to Roy. "Hey, got any good songs to listen to on the way there?"

The driver up at the front couldn't help but nod his head to the music behind him (and smirk at whoever it was voicing their displeasure at how awful it was).

_'Shot through the heart, and you're to blame...!"_

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><p><em><strong>ALLEGRO DE KOOPA - 8:01PM<strong>_

"Fancy ass place." Larry murmured to himself as he strolled into the lobby looking casual as he could. The carpet-red floors were fluffy and soft to walk on, obviously been tended by some maestros from the janitorial services. The walls were plastered with a sickly beige colour, although this was covered up neatly with watercolour paintings of King Bowser himself, celebrating the gloriousness of the Dark Lands. The crowning glory of it all though was the three storey chandelier that hung above them. Is this where Ludwig had been practising for all those months? He really did like his things fancy.

Lemmy joined his younger brother in looking at his surroundings. "Nothing like a circus, but still, pretty neat!" He observed.

"Koopalings!" A big, yet familiar voice boomed; King Bowser himself had appeared at the top level and was looking good for this event tonight. And why not? His cherished eldest son was playing tonight! It would be an insult if he showed up looking like he had rolled out of bed.

"King Dad!" Iggy exclaimed. "You're looking good!"

Bowser's face softened and he gave him an affectionate pat on the shoulder. "Aw, thanks Ignatius," He said, before looking up and seeing everyone else. "You're all looking fine as well! I can see Kamek has been at you all."

"Tell me about it." Lemmy tugged at his bowtie again.

"Da limo was a bit late though!" Roy explained, before casting a look onto Wendy. "It wouldn't have mattered anyways; Wendy took forever putting her makeup and she doesn't look any different!"

Wendy growled and stomped her foot, staring daggers into her brothers, but Bowser just laughed. "Nonsense! Wendy is a princess and she rivals above any other girl in this building!" He said, Wendy giving a triumphant look, her confidence renewed. "Alright everyone, our seats are reserved and ready for us."

"Wait, uh, King Dad?!" Larry spoke up suddenly, looking meek. "Do you mind if I go see Ludwig first before he starts? I'd like to give him my good luck before we lose him in the post-orchestra party."

Bowser, to Larry's surprise, acknowledged the request with a nod. "Of course!" He said happily, and then began to snap his fingers at a guard. "Hey, hey you!"

The guard scrambled over quickly and gave a salute. "Yes, Lord Bowser?!"

Bowser gestured towards Larry. "Show Sir Lawrence where Sir Ludwig is backstage. He is authorised to be backstage, got it?"

"Y-yes sir!"

Larry gave a smile to his father and waved the rest goodbye. "I'll be up with you guys soon." He said, following the now-nervous guard through the concert hall. Instead of heading upstairs to the seating, they went downstairs instead. A long, grey, empty hallway of what felt like a million miles with no one except this socially anxious guard that seemed like that if he got lost he would retreat into his shell and bounce off in fear. Eventually, they reached an intersection, the guard leading him right and suddenly, a bunch of doors lined along the walls with a few Koopa Troopas and Hammer Bros hanging about, talking quietly amongst themselves.

They found themselves in front of a door marked with a star, entitled 'Ludwig Von Koopa'.

"Here it is..." The guard said, and Larry nodded simply.

"Thanks," He was about to knock, but then he looked up. "Hey, don't worry about watching me, I'll find my way back. If King Dad gives you trouble, I'll back you up."

The guard nodded quickly. "T-thank you, sir!" And off he went, the orchestra players watching the nervous wreck walk by with amusement. Larry shook his head and rapped his knuckles on the door. To his amusement again, he heard an audible, annoyed growl come from the other side.

"Who is it?!"

Larry chuckled. "It's Larry, your favourite brother!"

In a second, the door opened and there stood Ludwig Von Koopa - dressed to impress in a black conductors suit, sporting a deep blue bowtie and funnily enough, white gloves. The eldest gave a smile and gestured. "Come on in, Larry."

The room looked similar to Lemmy's. In the fact that it had those special types of mirrors with light bulbs on them (Larry didn't know what they were called), drawers containing things, a dresser with a privacy wall and the weird smell of cologne. Ludwig, still grinning, gave a sigh and rested up against his chair. "Sorry for the rudeness," He apologised, probably a first for him. "I have just had everyone breathing down my neck today and it's been stressing me out quite a bit."

Larry shook his head and sat down on the couch nearby. "It's fine," He replied, resting back. "Anyway, I just wanted to come in and say good luck to you. I mean, classical music isn't exactly my thing but I'm hoping you'll pull it off nonetheless."

Ludwig's expression faltered, but he still kept the smile. "Thank you Lawrence. That means a lot. King Dad was down here a little while too, said the same thing..."

"Well, it's true."

"I... I suppose."

Larry tilted his head at his brother, who looked wracked with nerves. "Ludwig, what's wrong?" To his concern, he turned around and placed both hands on the counter in front of him.

"I... I'm just nervous," He explained. "I keep having these visions where I'll be doing my piano solo and I mess up one key and it sounds off and I end up disappointing everyone and embarrassing King Dad and you all. You don't deserve that. Conducting... yeah I think I could do that. Playing the piano in front of the elite of the Dark Lands? That is a different story..."

"Ah come on," Larry said casually, getting up and putting a hand on Ludwig's shoulder. "Pull yourself together Luddy - you're the best damn musical person I know. Heck, you're named after one of the best humans to walk this earth at least in terms of music. I've seen you play piano and I've seen you conduct and believe me, it's amazing. I could listen to it all night. And you know, this is coming from me who as you say, listens to the 'uncultured, artificial slop'.

Ludwig gave a weak laugh. "Did I really say that?"

"Heh, yep." Larry answered.

"Oh boy..."

"Don't worry about it man. You'll be fine. Besides, me and the others will be up there to support you."

"Thank you, Lawrence... you know, I heard that the limo was running late. And in my nervous addled mind, I had this weird thought that you wouldn't be here. And that was enough to shut me down."

Larry blinked and felt his stomach drop - since when was he this important to his eldest brother? They were apples and oranges as far as anyone and himself was concerned. "Ludwig..."

Ludwig however just gave another laugh and shook his head, looking at his brother in the eyes. "It seems silly, doesn't it? You are always there for me, supporting whatever the heck I do no matter how much you disagree or don't like it. I know you Lawrence, since the day you were born I knew that you were never going to be a mirror image of myself. I know you would rather be back home, sitting and playing video games or watching TV but you came all the way out here and I really appreciate that."

Probably for the first time in his life, Larry was truly speechless. He had never seen Ludwig like this, spilling out his heart, being seemingly this insecure. He thought that this big brother he had idolized throughout his whole life was strong as a Thowmp and had the cold steel nerves of an action hero. Suddenly, he embraced Ludwig in a deep hug and was happy to see that it was embraced back fully.

"You devious thing, you were my idol," He said, chuckling as they broke away. "And yet the tables have turned... my my."

"Which will only happen in this room." Ludwig finished, giving Larry a joking glare as he did so. The youngest clutched his chest in mock pain.

He hissed. "Damn it... okay. But only because you're my favourite."

"That's all I ever ask, Lawrence. Thank you."

Larry nodded and quickly checked his watch. **'8:27PM'**. "Oooh damn!" He cursed, "I better hurry up back to the seats. Almost show time."

When confronted with Ludwig's weak smile, Larry just placed both of his hands on his brother's shoulders and looked at him straight in the eye. "Listen, I'll summerise everything that I just said; your music is awesome, you're awesome, you're an expert at this and I will sit my spiny behind on my chair and watch every second of you... wait, that didn't come out right..."

Ludwig laughed and hugged Larry once again. "I know what you mean Lawrence. As I said, having you here watching me makes me feel better. Thank you."

Larry smiled. "You're welcome."

When Larry returned upstairs to the private seats, it was already dark save for the lights along the aisles. They were high above, with a nice view of the hall down below. Spotting his seat down next to Morton and Junior, he quickly leaped over it ans sat himself down without a single word or grunt of exertion.

"Larry!" King Bowser hissed across from him quietly. "Where have you been?!"

"Sorry, sorry!" He said, apologising profusely, everyone giving him strange looks. "Didn't keep track of the time well enough."

Suddenly, a voice boomed over the speakers.

"... and now, our first song. A masterpiece created by Sir Master Ludwig Von Koopa himself, will be played on his personal piano! Please put your hands together for the maestro himself!"

A deafening silence of appaluse filled the hall as the curtains rose and there stood Ludwig's own grand piano, ready to play an amazing modern piece of classical music. But what Larry was really waiting for though, strolled onto stage with a air of confidence about him. If you didn't know him, you would say he was arrogant and short sighted. But Ludwig Von Koopa was more than that; he was a talented big brother. Ludwig looked out towards the audience and, gaze flickering towards where he knew his family would be sitting, gave a small wave and a bow to the crowd.

He turned around, adjusted his bowtie, sat down at his piano and closed his eyes, listening to the words that Larry had given him previously...

And then he gave the best damn performance that Larry, and indeed everyone else there, had ever heard in their lives.

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><p>All characters (C) Nintendo<p> 


End file.
